Everybody at work knows I keep reptiles. A wild baby house gecko (I'm guessing it's a baby. It's inch and a half long) made it's way in to my work place. A guy I work with found him in the warehouse. So he brings him to me. At first he wants to keep him, Then changes his mind and gives him to me. The whole time he's handling it with his nasty oily gloves. We put it in a washed out gatorade bottle till I could get him home.

I get him home and realize at the minimum, He's got a broken tail. His chest is also reddish. I don't know if that's natural or if he has internal injuries from being handled. His abdomen is also darker than the rest of his underside. I'm worried that he's been mishandled by someone who didn't know any better.

I really don't know anything about geckos.
I came to the conclusion it was a house gecko from what I was told at the pet store plus doing a google image search.

I have a savannah monitor, A ball python, And a veiled chameleon. I don't think my experience with them helps me in this situation.

I put him in a small plastic "Critter Keeper" with a clump of moist sphagnum moss at one end. I took him to my local pet store. (It's a mom and pop, they know a lot more than those part timers at the chain stores.) They gave me some tiny meal worms but, I think they might be a little too big. I've got a slight fruit fly problem in my house, so I'm thinking if I put a peach slice in the container it should draw them in. I have a couple of cricket containers that I put sliced potato in for food and moisture and I get those flies in them.
I doubt that geckos eat ants but correct me if I'm wrong.I'm just wondering what to feed something so tiny.

I've lived in Georgia all my life and this is the first time in my life(I'm 41) that I've seen a wild gecko. I don't know if it came from outside or if it arrived on a truck from some other part of the country.
But, anyway you gecko people, Tell me what you think.

__________________
Git'er Done!

Hello,

Pinhead crickets would be sufficient. The chain stores typically carry small crickets that could be used. It would help if you attached a picture so we could positively identify it. Like you said, you aren't certain but believe its a house gecko. If it is another species, the care could be considerably different from that of a house gecko.

__________________
.:: Rich ::.

+ Spread The Info

Yeah, I understand. I don't have a camera. Especially one that could take so much of a close up that would be needed. It's splotchy brown with a ringed tail.

I could put him on my flat panel scanner but, He'd probably be blind after that.

__________________
Git'er Done!

I know I sound like a broken record, but...

That red really concerns me, and the discoloration. You'll want to get him to a vet. Not only would a reptile vet be able to identify him positively, the vet might be able to save his life is he does have internal injuries. You should also have him tested for parasites and such.

__________________
"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

Listen, I hope I don't sound heartless. Taking it to a vet is out of the question in this situation. What is a vet going to do? Surgery? On an animal the size of a pinto bean? (He's not even that big) I doing my part in trying to help the little guy out. I don't have the money right now to get a digital camera to take it's picture, So a vet visit? I wish I could win the lottery so I could care for all the animals!
It might sound heartless, but I'll sacrifice for the animals that I have invested in, but I'm only going to go so far with a wild animal. They sell house geckos on the internet for "Feeder food"! I was tempted to feed him to my Savannah Monitor (Smaller reptiles are an exellent food source for larger carnivorous lizards), But I felt sorry for the little guy.
Well, After more than a day he's moving and jumping around so I don't believe he has anything wrong with him other than a broken tail. Internal injuries are usually fatal within hours.
The pet store told me he was a house gecko. They're not petsmart or petco. This is a small Mom and Pop that's been in business for 20 years. They know a lot. They even do rehab for sick reptiles.
When I got home I did a Google image search for "House Gecko" and the majority of results looked just like him. Splotchy(Intermitant) brown with a ringed tail. Sort of like how an iguana's tail is ringed. I didn't see any pics of their underside. As of right now he still has a reddish chest. Actually it's more pinkish.
I do know one thing, And that's if that redness was from blood, It would be a lot darker by now. Uncirculated blood cells die and turn almost black.

With this summer's heat, My electric bills are sky high. Maybe within a month or so I can get a dig. cam. and share a lot more with all of you. I looking forward to it!

__________________
Git'er Done!

Its very possible Greg that the coloration is actually his organs. If he is that young, his belly could be slightly transparent still?

__________________
.:: Rich ::.

+ Spread The Info

Thats what they thought at the pet store.

here's a pic I found on the net. My gecko is the same size as these two.

Also, mine looks just like these two exept that he doesn't have a yellow underside(These are Yellow Bellied House Geckos)

__________________
Git'er Done!

Others might agree or disagree, but if it was me I don't think I would feed the gecko to the Monitor just because you really don't know where it came from, what its been exposed to, ect. Especially after having been handled with oily gloves... It could have something you wouldn't want to expose to your other animal. just my opinion. glad to hear he seems to be getting better.

__________________

Don't worry, Im not. I was just trying to make a point.

__________________
Git'er Done!

hello, i am new to this site and the lizard lifstyle but I do have 2 mediterranian house geckos and hope to get more lizards very soon. these little guys live from florida to califrnia and everywhere in between, they are very hardy and easy to keep. they have pink underbellies and love to eat crickets. it sounds like the same thing you have there and I hope I have helped a little.